Bowling-alley.



P. S. KNAPP.

BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1913.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914,

y i||||l| .1mm Ill"! EIIIIII EIIIIIIEIIHW 11 T Q I iiIIE!IIIIIIIIIIEIIIIIIIIElllllplllll COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH C0,,WASHINOTON, n. c.

PAUL S. KNAPP, 0F AKRON, OHIO.

BOWLING-ALLEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2st, 1914..

Application filed Ma 5,1913. Serial No. mama.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL S. KnAPr, a citi-. zen of the United States, residing atAkron,

in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bowling-Alleys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bowling games,

and its object is to provide a device adapted for use on a bowling alley or on a table to play a variety of games.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a bowling alley hereinafter more fully described and particularly stated in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the principal part of my invention, showing targets hung in the triangular formvusual to the setting of ten-pins, indicated by the dotted lines :20, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a top View 7 of the same, looking down from the horizontal section line 1 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view on a smaller scale of my invention.

Numeral 5 represents a turn-table mounted to revolve on a vertical shaft 6 that is dependent from the ceiling 7 of the room, or from some beam or support corresponding thereto. The shaft is provided with side braces 8 to hold it rigidly vertical.

While the turn-table 5 may be mounted in any usual manner to revolve around the shaft 6, I prefer to secure it rigidly to a sleeve 9 which serves in the capacity of a hub as a bearing to revolve on the shaft, 6; and to insure rigidity I connect the edges of the table with the top of the sleeve by strong braces 10. A flanged head 11 on the shaft 6 permanently supports the table at a fixed distance above the floor 12. To the table I hang a number of targets 13 by any suitable suspenders, such, for example, as the metallic rods 14:, having hooks 15, to engage eyes or staples 16 that are firmly fixed to the said table. There may be any desired number of the attaching eyes 16; and they may be located on the table in different forms adapted to the various games that have been or may be designed to be played with this device.

One form of arranging the" targets is shown by the dotted lines :0 in triangular form like the setting of tenpins on a bowling alley. In this case the table may be held by latch 21 from revolving and the larger numbers in series,

game counted by the number of pins set to swinging by the plaved ball. Another form of arrangement is to hang the targets in a ring at the outer edge of the table, as at 17.

In this case the location of each target may be numbered 011 the table as shown by the numeral 18, and the numbers may be in numerical order as shown, or they may be as 51020, etc; or they may skip about like 550-20-70, etc., where games trusting more to luck than to skill in playing are desired and the game is counted by the sum of the numerals on the balls hit. A goal may be fixed at some point, as 19, or a ring of numbers may be marked on the floor around the edge of the table for targets to register with when the table stops. When it is desired that the table shall remain stationary, as, for in stance, when the targets are arranged on the triangle 0:, to serve like tenpins, a stop lug 2O fixed on the table is engaged by a latch 21 that is pivoted to a fixture 22. When this latch is turned out of engagement, as shown in dotted lines 23, is free to be revolved.

In Fig. 3 a common inclined trough 24.- is used to return the balls 25 within reach of the player standing at the head 26 of the bowling alley. If this game device were made small to use on a table, the return trough would not be needed. To illustrate its use, let us suppose the targets to be numbered 510-15, etc., to 100, as shown in Fig. 2, and that the player shall count the number of the target that he brings to stop nearest to the goal 19. Then his object will be to roll his ball hard enough'against a target at the left of center, or lightly enough against a target at the right of center to bring target 100 around to the goal. Between these extremes, and sometimes hitting two targets, various effects will be produced on the revolving of the table, with very exciting uncertainty as to numerical results. If so wild a play is'made that the ball hits a fixed target 28, it may be ruled that the player shall loose the number on the ball stopping nearest the goal 19. If the table be held by the latch 21 from revolving, counts may be made according to the targets hit, as shown by the numbers 18. Gr these numbers may be used with the table free to revolve, the player being given that count of the numbers 18 which stops nearest to the goal 19. By hanging only three targets at the angles of lines a: a diiferent result is produced. It will be seen that by agreement between players an unlimited variety of games may be played with this device. Its construction is comparatively inexpensive. Some of the advantages of this invention would be attained if the shaft 6 were extended to the floor; also if the table 5 were made fast to the shaft and the shaft fitted to revolve within the collar 27.

The targets are hung near enough to the floor to be hit by balls of convenient size for playing rolled upon the floor. Yet a floor is not necessary to this device when arranged to be operated by throwing balls at its targets. A hit may be measured by the number that stops at the latch 21, or the game agreed upon may be counted by the numeral in series 18, which stops at a corresponding numeral on the floor.

Provided they are attached to the revolving support 5 at some distance'to one side or the other of the central bowling line the targets may be rigidly fixed to the revolving support 5 as shown at 28.

I claim:

1. In a bowling game, a table suspended to revolve horizontally, and targets depending from the table to swing freely.

2. In a bowling game, a floor; a shaft located in a vertical position above the floor; a table mounted to revolve horizontally on the shaft; and targets hung upon the table near enough to the floor to be hit by balls rolled on the latter.

.8. In a bowling game, a table mounted to revolve in a horizontal plane; targets depending from the table to revolve therewith, and a goal located on a fixture near the outer path of the revolving targets.

4. In a bowling game, a table mounted upon a vertical shaft to revolve horizontally, a latch located to engage the table near its periphery, and targets depending from the table.

5. In a bowling game, a floor; a table mounted to revolve parallel with the floor; targets suspended from the table near its edge to swing above the floor; a numeral marked on the table over each of such targets, and corresponding numerals marked on the floor around the table, but in reverse order to the said numerals on the table.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

PAUL S. KNAIP.

\Vitnesses E. D. Fnrrorr, H. N. SHIVELY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

